Each NBA team’s best trade in franchise history

Golden State Warriors

Andrew Bogut and Stephen Jackson for Kwame Brown, Monta Ellis, and Ekpe Udoh to MIL (2012)

This trade marked two important benchmarks in recent Golden State Warriors history. First, it marked the genesis of the team’s affinity for sound defense. Second, it signified to everyone that Stephen Curry, who wasn’t a sure bet at the time, was the guy this team planned on building the future around.

As we all know, those decisions resulted in a paradigm-shifting dynasty. For now, let’s focus on this trade: once the front office decided that Curry was the cornerstone, they needed to send popular shot-chucker Monta Ellis somewhere.

They ultimately chose the Milwaukee Bucks, who took him, decent-in-small-doses center Ekpe Udoh and all-time bust Kwame Brown for former Warriors playoff hero Stephen Jackson and former number one overall pick Andrew Bogut.

Prior to the trade, Bogut looked like he would join in the “top pick disappointment bin”, but once he came to Oakland, his rim protection aided the historically defensively averse Warriors to become a formidable group on that end (though Draymond Green’s development really pushed that over the edge).

And again, the move gave Curry the keys to Mark Jackson’s hooptie offense (Steve Kerr would upgrade it to a Ferrari) and opened the door for Klay Thompson to blossom into one of the best two-way players in the NBA. All thanks to one trade (and getting Jackson out of there).